Mario Lopez is finally getting his flowers—or rather, his five-pointed brass star. As the “Access Hollywood” host prepares to receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October , he is taking a moment to look back at a career that has spanned four decades, from the neon hallways of Bayside High to becoming a staple of national news.
The -year-old star recently got candid about the early days of his career, and the details are a far cry from the glitz and glamour he lives in today. Before he was the dimpled jock A.C. Slater on “Saved by the Bell,” Lopez was just a “little Mexican kid” from Chula Vista traveling to Los Angeles for auditions.
Shady Beginnings and Family Bonds
The viral buzz surrounding his upcoming Walk of Fame ceremony has many fans reminiscing about his s roots, but Lopez remembers the struggle. He recalled staying in “the craziest little hole in the wall hotels” on Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard with his father because they were on a budget.
“That’s when it was really shady back then in the s,” Lopez shared. “But I felt safe with him. And now cut to, I’m gonna have a star! That is pretty wild.”
In a move that is already sparking excitement on social media, Lopez revealed that his star will be placed right in front of Wahlburgers—across the street from Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. His longtime buddy Mark Wahlberg is even set to be a guest speaker. “He got a kick out of that,” Lopez added.
The A.C. Slater Shadow
While most fans know him from “Saved by the Bell,” which Lopez noted is “still on today, which is a trip,” the transition from teen heartthrob to serious adult actor wasn’t exactly a breeze. He admitted that the shift was “really difficult” due to the heavy typecasting that follows child stars.
“It takes everyone a minute to take you serious as an adult,” he explained. “That’s why I always have a lot of extra respect for actors who were once child actors, because I know how difficult that transition is.”
Rather than fighting the shadow of A.C. Slater, Lopez embraced his “hustler” spirit. He pivoted into hosting, producing, and even Broadway, where he famously met his wife, Courtney, during a run of “A Chorus Line” in .
The Four Fs and a Legacy of Fitness
On Instagram and X, Lopez is just as famous for his “extra” lifestyle as he is for his fitness routines. He jokingly shared that his personal “Mount Rushmore” consists of the four Fs: family, faith, fitness, and food.
Now that he’s , he admits that staying in the game requires a bit more maintenance. “I always say I train more for sanity than vanity,” he quips. However, he confessed that his body doesn’t always agree with his -something intensity, leading to more frequent injuries.
A Family Affair
The Lopez legacy is already moving into the next generation. Mario is currently co-starring in the upcoming Great American Family holiday film “Once Upon a Christmas List” alongside Courtney and their -year-old son, Dominic.
While he isn’t pushing his kids into the spotlight, he’s happy to let them explore the business he fell in love with by accident. Whether he’s producing new content or chasing his goal of being the “Latino Dick Clark,” Lopez is proving that his “pinch me moment” on Hollywood Boulevard is just the beginning of his next act.
